Motor-simulating accessory for wheeled vehicles



J. 0. WILSON 2,719,385

WHEELED VEHICLES MOTOR-SIMULATING ACCESSORY FOR Filed Aug. 12, 1954INVENTOR JAcv, C. Wusouu W United States Patent MOTOR-SIMULATINGACCESSORY FOR. WHEELED VEHICLES Jack C. Wilson, Garden City, N. Y.

Application. August 12,1954, SeriaLNm 449,428

6 Claims. (Cl. 46-175) This invention relates to an accessory adaptedfor use on wheeled vehicles, such as1bicycles',,tricycles, velocipedesand the like, and is particularly related to a noise making accessoryadapted upon such attachment and upon use of the vehicle to which theaccessory is attached to produce a motor simulating sound.

The present invention provides an accessory which is adapted to bevibrated by the spokes of, the conven tional wheel employed in bicycles,tricycles and the like, and to produce in rapid succession a series ofexhaustlike noises which effectively simulate the sound of a motor, andsuch simulated sound'is foundto be extremely pleasing to children andother persons employing such vehicles.

Many devices have heretofore been contemplated which have attempted tosimulate a motor-like sound for use with bicycles, tricycles and thelike. Such prior devices have in general failed to produce acommercially satisfactory device and have primarily failed because ofthe heavy attrition and wear exerted upon the vibrator elementspreviously used, resulting in the rapid destruction of such elementsand'the consequent too frequent replacement thereof.

It has been found that one of the principal reasons for such priorfailure through wear has resulted from the manner in which the vibratorelements have been attached, such prior devices having primarilyemployed an end attachment of a vibrator element. It has been found thatsuch end-attached vibrators more readily yield to the wear of the rapidsuccession of blows imparted thereto upon the rotation of a spokedwheel, such as is employed in the vehicles here under consideration.

Other devices have additionally provided extremely complicated andcumbersome structures which have not proven. economical or feasible inproduction and which have accordingly failed to satisfy the desire fordevices of the general character.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple,economical and easily installed motorsimulating accessory for use withbicycles, tricycles and the like which is primarily characterizedby anew and novel arrangement resulting in a better simulation of the motorsound and in longer wear of the elements employed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide amotor-simulating accessory of the character mentioned which comprises ahollow, substantially cylindricallywalled cup-like drum member and avibrator diaphragm secured to the drum and overlying andcoveringthe openend thereof, the said diaphragm being of flexible, vibratable materialand including a vibrator extension.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a motorsimulatingaccessory of the type described in which: the diaphragm is concaved andcovers and overlaps the open end of a drum-like member and is connectedto the drum-like member by attachment means extending substantiallycentrally through the drum member and through the diaphragm memberwhereby edge portions 2 of the diaphragm member are supported against,but unattached to, the drum member.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a devicewhichincludes means for clampingly attaching the deviceto the wheeled vehicleand additional means locking the diaphragm against rotational movementrelative to the clamping means, whereby to insure proper posi-- tioningof the diaphragm member relative to the wheel of the vehicle; and

A further object of the invention is to generally improve the design,construction and efiiciencyof noise making accessories for simulatingthe sound of motors adapted for use with bicycles, tricycles and thelike.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the presentinventiona're accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment willreadily be understood from the following specification upon reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a fragmentary side view of a portion of a bicycle illustratingthe accessory of the present invention installed thereon.

Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment oftheinvention.

Fig. 3 is a face view of the device from the diaphragm end thereof.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device; and

Fig. 5 is a sectionalview taken as on the line VV of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicatedby numerals, the present device is illustrated as mounted upon thewheel-supporting fork 1 1 of. a conventional bicycle for engagement bythe spokes 13* of the wheel 15, the wheel 15 being supported inconventional manner by the fork 11 for rotation. in the operation of thebicycle.

The accessory of the present invention, generally designated' at 17, ispreferably removably attached to one ably clamp 19 includes an elongatedleg 23' to which the noise maker'17 is preferably removably connected.

Noise maker 17 preferably comprises a. cup-like drum member 25, one endof which is open, the interior of drum member 25 being hollow and theopposite end of the drum member being closed: as by base 26. Prefer ablythe drum member 25 is of substantially circular cross sect-ion and theopen end of the drum member is provided with a peripheral bead 27.

Seated against the open end of drum member 25' and substantially incontact with peripheral bead 27 is a diaphragm plate 29 which isdimensioned so that edge portions of the diaphragm overlap to a minorextent the majority of the periphery of the open end of drum: member25,. and the diaphragm is additionally provided with anelongated,preferably pointed, vibrator portion 31, vibrator portion: 31 beingformed integrally with diaphragm 29. Preferably diaphragm 29 andvibrator portion 31 are formed of thin, resilient material of limitedflexibility, as to which certain of the plastic sheet materialsa such asthe polyvinyls or the cellulose acetates or similar sheet-iugs have beenfound to be satisfactory.

The-diaphragm 29 is attached to drum member 25 by an elongatedbolt 33which extends substantially through:

the center of the closed face 26 of drum member 25 and is of a lengthto. extend substantially to the open end of the drum member. included asquare section or a section of angularcross section 35 which is passedthrough and engages with a complementarily formed aperture intermediatethe extent of diaphragm 29 and remote from the cup-overlapping edgeportions of the diaphragm.

Patented Oct. 4,. 1955 Adjacent the head of bolt 23 is- It will beobserved that the diaphragm 29 is so mounted upon the open end of drum25 preferably as to slightly concave the outer surface of the diaphragm,this concavity being maintained by central bolt 33 when the device isfastened into completed relationship. The opposite end of bolt 33 isthreaded and provides the means for attaching clamp 19 to the closed end26 of drum member 25. Preferably the elongated clamp leg 23 is providedwith a plurality of bolt receiving apertures 37 in order to provide foradjusting the position of the clamp relative to the drum member.

It will be seen that when clamp 19 is mounted upon the extending end ofbolt 33 that the clamp is locked in position on the bolt as by asuitable lock nut 39, and as the diaphragm 29 is connected to bolt 33 bythe complementary engagement of the diaphragm aperture with the angularbolt section against rotation relative to the bolt, the clamp and thediaphragm are maintained in relative alinement.

In the use of the device one of the apertures in clamp leg 23 is passedover the end of bolt 33 and clamp 19 fixed to fork 11, with the open endof drum 25 preferably facing forwardly of the vehicle and with thepointed vibrator 31 extending into the path of the spokes 13 of thewheel. Upon the rotation of the wheel the vibrator is rapidly andrepeatedly impacted causing a rapid series of noises, the resonance ofwhich is increased by drum 25, producing the motor-simulating noisewhich is desired.

It will be understood that the foregoing description relates to apreferred embodiment of the invention, and that variations may be madein details of the structure with out departing from the presentinvention.

I claim:

1. A motor-simulating noise maker for use with wheeled vehicles,comprising a hollow drum having an open end, a flexible and resilientdiaphragm covering and concaved into the open end of said drum, edgeportions of said diaphragm overlapping said open end, attachment meansconnected to the opposite end of said drum and extending substantiallyaxially of said drum, said attachment means engaging said diaphragmsubstantially at the level of said open end and intermediate and remotefrom the edge portions of said diaphragm to attach said diaphragm tosaid drum with said diaphragm edge portions contacting and unattachingto the rim of said drurn open end, said attachment means including meanspreventing rotation of said diaphragm relative to said attachment means,an angularly tapered resilient vibrator portion integrally connected tosaid diaphragm and projecting away from said diaphragm and said drum,and clamp means for mounting said noise maker with said vibratorextending into the path of the wheel spokes of a vehicle wheel, saidclamp means being detachably locked to said attachment means, whereby tomaintain relative alinement between said clamp means and said diaphragmportion.

2. A motor-simulating noise maker for use with wheeled vehicles,comprising a hollow drum having an open end, a flexible and resilientdiaphragm, edge portions of said diaphragm overlapping said open end,attachment means connected to said drum, said attachment means engagingsaid diaphragm substantially at the level of said open end andintermediate and remote from the edge portions of said diaphragm toattach said diaphragm to said drum with said diaphragm edge portionscontacting and unattaching to the rim of said drum open end, saidattachment means including means preventing rotation of said diaphragmrelative to said attachment means, a resilient vibrator portionintegrally connected to said diaphragm and projecting away from saiddiaphragm and said drum, and means for mounting said noise makeradjacent the wheel spokes of a vehicle wheel, said mounting means beingdetachably locked to said attachment means, whereby to maintain relativealinement between said clamp means and said diaphragm vibrator portion.

3. A motor-simulating noise maker for use with wheeled vehicles,comprising a hollow drum having an open end, a flexible and resilientdiaphragm covering and concaved into the open end of said drum, edgeportions of said diaphragm overlapping said open end, attachment meansconnected to the opposite end of said drum and extending substantiallyaxially of said drum, said attachment means engaging said diaphragmsubstantially at the level of said open end and intermediate and remotefrom the edge portions of said diaphragm to attach said diaphragm tosaid drum with said diaphragm edge portions contacting and unattachingto the rim of said drum open end, a resilient vibrator portionintegrally connected to said diaphragm and projecting away from saiddiaphragm and said drum, and means for mounting said noise makeradjacent the wheel spokes of a vehicle wheel.

4. A motor-simulating noise maker for use with wheeled vehicles,comprising a hollow drum having an open end, a flexible and resilientdiaphragm covering the open end of said drum, edge portions of saiddiaphragm overlapping said open end, attachment means connected to theopposite end of said drum and extending substantially axially of saiddrum, said attachment means engaging said diaphragm substantially at thelevel of said open end and intermediate and remote from the edgeportions of said diaphragm to attach said diaphragm to said drum withsaid diaphragm edge portions contacting and unattaching to the rim ofsaid drum open end, a resilent vibrator portion integrally connected tosaid diaphragm and projecting away from said diaphragm and said drum,and means for mounting said noise maker with said vibrator portionprojecting into the path of the wheel spokes of a vehicle wheel.

5. A motor-simulating noise maker for use with wheeled vehicles,comprising a hollow drum having an open end, a flexible and resilientdiaphragm, edge portions of said diaphragm overlapping said open end,attachment means connected to said drum, said attachment means engagingsaid diaphragm intermediate and remote from the edge portions of saiddiaphragm to attach said diaphragm to said drum with said diaphragm edgeportions contacting and unattaching to the rim of said drum open end, aresilient vibrator portion integrally connected to said diaphragm andprojecting away from said diaphragm and said drum, and means formounting said noise maker adjacent the wheel spokes of a vehicle wheel.

6. A motor-simulating noise maker for use with wheeled vehicles,comprising a hollow drum having an open end, a flexible and resilientdiaphragm covering the open end of said drum, edge portions of saiddiaphragm overlapping said open end, attachment means connected to saiddrum, said attachment means engaging said diaphragm intermediate andremote from the edge portions of said diaphragm to attach said diaphragmto said drum with said diaphragm edge portions contacting andunattaching to the rim of said drum open end, and a resilient vibratorportion integrally connected to said diaphragm and projecting away fromsaid diaphragm and said drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,701,734 Stephens Feb. 12, 1929 1,882,595 Hewitt Oct. 11, 19322,603,035 Countryman July 15, 1952 2,609,640 Newell Sept. 9, 19522,624,156 Meyer Jan. 6, 1953

